When the Dream Is Over
by Pandora North Star
Summary: I Wrote this awhile ago. Angel shows up to B/R Wedding, but will it change anything?


When the Dream Is Over  
  
Author:By Pandora North Star   
  
Title: When the Dream is Over   
  
Rating: G   
  
Note: I wrote this in season 4 before all that happened with Riley. I have this weird tv intuition.   
  
The Church was filled with the dying light of dusk. A nervous man stood near the alter laughing with 3 other men. Everyone murmured happily and the overall feeling was pleasant. After all the years it was her day.   
  
Buffy stepped out of the limousine. She smelled softly of flowers and her face was aglow. Her blond hair hung in ringlets around her face, the veil placed carefully over. Her long white train was held by Nigel, the young offspring of Rupert and Joyce Giles. He stood there, Giles smiling broadly. She took his hand and they walked up the steps of the church.   
  
"Buffy!" Willow squealed, embracing her best friend.   
  
"Are you excited?" Tara asked quietly.   
  
"I think you could have picked out nicer looking dresses." Anya complained. Just like Anya to complain about the matching pale yellow dresses that adorned the female members of The Scooby Gang.   
  
"To bad Cordelia didn't come." Buffy said sadly. Cordelia had wanted to come but she had been busy in New York thanks her blossoming acting career which they had never thought would actually happen. And Everyone had consciously overlooked Angel. She hadn't talked to him in years anyway. Leave well enough alone.   
  
"Are you girls ready?" Giles asked looking at them. They nodded and gave Buffy quick hugs. She could hear the organs starting up, making the church rumble.   
  
"Are you ready Buffy?" Buffy nodded to Giles, tears welling up in her eyes.   
  
"I'm so happy Giles." She gasped holding him.   
  
"And I'm very happy for you Buffy." He pulled her gently towards the doors. "Come along Nigel." The little boy nodded and scurried over and picked up the train.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
At the front of the church Riley laughed nervously. "Good luck man." Xander said noticing that the girls had started down the aisle.   
  
"This is quite the wedding. There must be 150 people here!" Graham murmured.   
  
"And even a few demons." Spike added. He wasn't sure why he had agreed to being an Groomsman but he had. "This church makes me nervous."   
  
"Shh." Xander snapped in his face before turning back and waving to Joyce in the front row.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"I'm glad we decided to do those wards. I wouldn't want any nasty vampires ruining Buffy's big day." Willow said to Tara.   
  
"Or night." Tara said noticing the brightening lights. Outside Sunnydale was darkening. A one day vacation for the creatures of the night from their huntress.   
  
"Do you think Xander will ever ask me to marry him?" Anya whined.   
  
"Well maybe he is waiting until he is more financially stable so he can get you a really nice ring." Willow offered.   
  
"Yes. That has to be it." Anya smiled, satisfied.   
  
"Buffy looks really pretty." Tara said softly when they took their place. Willow agreed. She looked so happy in spite of her past. All the endless nights spent patrolling graveyards and all the jobs she had been fired from due to Slayer emergencies.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Buffy felt stabled by Giles arm in hers. The father figure in her life all those years. It was only right. She was reminded of the time she was going to marry Spike and she had asked him to give her away. He had said yes then too. She could see everyone clapping and crying and taking pictures. Her mother looked relieved. Maybe because deep down she thought Buffy would never live to have this.   
  
And then there was Riley. He looked adorable in his tux. His blue eyes were like the brightest skies. He looked eager to be with her. To be one with her. And she loved him. He had stood by her all those years. Through more apocalypses than she could count on one hand.   
  
Buffy gasped. She gazed at her hand for a moment. At the clatter ring which had lost it's place to Riley's engagement ring. She was already married figuratively. In Ireland. Then she shook her head defiantly. As far as that was concerned that was another life. And technically it was because she had died again in a fire but the hospital saved her. No more Slayers came. She was dead to them. But still she kept up the fight. Who else would? The Slayer known as Faith currently in The LA county jail?   
  
Despite everything there she was still alive and about to marry her college sweetheart with all of her friends and family there to watch. Giles het her hand go and she floated to Riley. He took her hand and held it. She felt dizzy. The ceremony started but she only heard bits and pieces. She remembered gazing into Riley's eyes and mumbling a few words and a ring being put on her finger. The clearest part was when the pastor announced...   
  
"You may now kiss the bride!" The whole place cheered and then silence. Buffy pulled away from the kiss and instinctively pulled a stake out from under her poofy dress.   
  
"Angel?" He started running up the aisle and then grabbed her. He swung her around in a circle.   
  
"I'm alive!" He yelled gleefully. "I'm human again." As soon as he put her down she backed away from him. "Buffy?"   
  
"I can't believe you." She shook her head. "Running into my wedding and expecting me to be happy? You deserted me over and over Angel. And I managed to create a new life for myself out of the wreckage. I don't love you anymore. Even if you are human!"   
  
"Oh yeah? Then why are you still wearing the ring? The ring that is supposed to represent our undying love for each other?"   
  
"It won't come off." Buffy said defensively. He wedding was ruined. Everyone was watching in stony silence at the soap opera going on before them.   
  
"There was a time long ago that I would have run into your arms for anything. Anything. But you haven't been there. Riley has. I have counted on Riley through thick and thin for so long." Buffy wiped the tears away smearing her makeup. "If you really love me then you'll go. And stop ruining my happy day." she bolted past him. He stood there frowning at the angry mob.   
  
"You don't understand!" He yelled to all of them. Riley sprinted towards Angel.   
  
"I know you have had a past with her but you should have just let it go." He sighed. He wasn't terribly angry with Angel. He had let go of that long ago. He was just sad for Buffy's sake.   
  
"Let me go. Both of you stay here." Willow said. She lightly ran towards the back of the Church and headed to the bathroom.   
  
She could hear the sobs before she even reached the door. "Buffy it's me." Willow called.   
  
"Why? Why? It was going so well. I thought I was going to be happy. You know that this changes everything. I hate him!"Willow took Buffy in her arms. Buffy was crying uncontrollably.   
  
"Look into your heart Buffy. You have to make a choice."   
  
"But it is to late. I'm already Buffy Finn."   
  
"If you really wanted to stop it you know you could get an annulment." Willow said in her brainy way.   
  
"I don't really think I want to. "Buffy said through the tears. She took a beep breath. "I love Angel. I will always love Angel. He is the air that I breath. But Riley is someone that I can have this with. He's my rock. You can't float on rocks the way you do on air but you can't fall and crash either."   
  
"Tell Angel that." Buffy nodded. She and Willow left the bathroom and made their way back into the Church.   
  
"Goodbye Angel." She said. He gave her a wide eyed look but said nothing. "I will never stop loving you. But you can't give me the life that Riley can. We both know that." She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek and then walked back to Riley.   
  
"We have a reception to get ready for." He grinned and his smile spread from ear to ear.   
  
"You knew this is how it would be from the beginning." Willow consoled Angel as she walked him outside.   
  
"I know. But that doesn't make it hurt any less."   
  
"No it doesn't." She paused. "Where will you go now? I mean now that you are human."   
  
"I don't really know exactly. Cordelia could probably use a bodyguard."   
  
"That's the spirit." They smiled at each other and then he disappeared into the night.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
"I'm sorry." Buffy said to Riley as they swayed across the dance floor To "I Will Remember You".   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because I still love him."   
  
"I've learned to live with it. It's alright." Riley assured her. Inside him he could feel another heartstring snap. 


End file.
